Al-A'raf (The Heights): (3) Follow what has been revealed...

Know that the mission of prophethood is only perfected through three elements: the Sender (Allah, the Exalted), the Messenger (the Prophet), and the recipient (the Ummah/community).

Since the Messenger was commanded in the first verse to deliver the message and warn with a strong heart and firm resolve, the recipient—the Ummah—is now commanded to follow the Messenger, saying: {Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord}.

In this verse, there are several issues:

Issue 1: The Scope of "What Has Been Revealed"

Al-Hasan said: "O son of Adam, you are commanded to follow the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger."

Know that the statement {Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord} encompasses both the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

Objection: Why did it say, {revealed to you} when it was only revealed to the Messenger?

Answer: It is revealed to you (the Ummah) in the sense that it is a direct address to everyone.

Once this is established, we say: This verse indicates that it is impermissible to restrict the generality (‘umūm) of the Qur'an by means of Qiyās (analogical reasoning). This is because the generality of the Qur'an is revealed from Allah Almighty, and Allah has obligated following it. Therefore, acting upon the general meaning of the Qur'an is obligatory. Since acting upon it is obligatory, acting upon Qiyās (if it contradicts the general meaning) becomes impermissible, lest contradiction arises.

If they argue: The Qur'an itself commands the use of Qiyās in the verse {So take heed} (Al-Hashr: 2), thus acting upon Qiyās is acting upon what Allah has revealed.

We reply: Even if that were the case, we say that the verse indicating the obligation to use Qiyās only proves the ruling established through that analogy, not as an original ruling. However, the generality of the Qur'an indicates the establishment of that ruling originally (ibtidā’an), not through mediation. When a conflict occurs, what indicates the ruling originally, as revealed by Allah, takes precedence over a ruling indicated by Allah through something else. Thus, the preference lies on our side. And Allah knows best.

Issue 2: Prohibition of Following Others

The Almighty's statement: {and do not follow other patrons besides Him}.

They explained this to mean: Do not take patrons from the devils among the Jinn and humankind who would lead you to worship idols, follow whims, or engage in innovations (bid‘ah).

One could argue: The verse indicates that what is followed is either what Allah revealed or something else.

1. The first is what Allah commanded us to follow.
2. The second is what Allah forbade us to follow. Therefore, the meaning is that anything contrary to the ruling revealed by Allah is not permissible to follow.

If this is established, those who deny Qiyās used this verse to support their denial. They argued: The verse indicates it is impermissible to follow anything other than what Allah revealed. Acting upon Qiyās is following something other than what Allah revealed; therefore, it must be impermissible.

If they argue: Since the verse {So take heed} indicates acting upon Qiyās, acting upon Qiyās is acting upon what Allah revealed.

We reply: If acting upon Qiyās were truly acting upon what Allah revealed, then whoever abandons the ruling derived from Qiyās would be considered an unbeliever due to the verse: {And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then those are the disbelievers} (Al-Ma'idah: 44). Since the Ummah is in consensus that abandoning a ruling derived from Qiyās does not constitute disbelief, we know that acting upon the ruling of Qiyās is not acting upon what Allah revealed (in the primary sense). Thus, the proof (against Qiyās) is established.

The proponents of Qiyās replied: The validity of Qiyās as proof is established by the consensus (Ijmā‘) of the Companions, and consensus is a decisive proof (dalīl qāṭi‘). What you mentioned relies on the apparent meaning of a general text (dhannī), and the decisive proof takes precedence over the presumptive one.

The former group replied: You established that consensus (Ijmā‘) is a proof based on the general meanings of verses like {And whoever follows a path other than that of the believers} (An-Nisā’: 115), {And thus We have made you a community justly balanced} (Al-Baqarah: 143), and {You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong} (Al 'Imrān: 110), and the Prophet's saying: "My Ummah will not agree upon error." Therefore, establishing the validity of consensus is a branch derived from relying on general texts. A branch cannot be stronger than its root.

The proponents of Qiyās replied: Since the verses, the Hadiths, and the consensus mutually support the establishment of Qiyās, its strength is reinforced, and preference is achieved. And Allah knows best.

Issue 3: Rejection of Rational Inquiry

The Hashawiyyah (literalists) who deny rational inquiry and intellectual proofs rely on this verse. This is far-fetched because knowledge of the Qur'an's authority depends on the validity of relying on rational proofs. If we were to make the Qur'an undermine the validity of rational proofs, contradiction would ensue, which is false.

Issue 4: Recitations (Qirā’āt)

Ibn 'Amir recited {qaleelan mā yatadhakkarūn} (a little they remember) sometimes with Yā’ (ي) and sometimes with Tā’ (ت).

Hamzah, Al-Kisā’ī, and Ḥafṣ from 'Āṣim recited it with Tā’ (ت) and a lightened Dhāl (ذ). The rest recited it with Tā’ (ت) and a stressed Dhāl (ذ).

Al-Wāḥidī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Tadhakkarūn originally was Tattadhakkarūn. The first Tā’ was assimilated into the Dhāl because the Tā’ is unvoiced (mahmūs) while the Dhāl is voiced (majhūr). The voiced sound is stronger than the unvoiced sound, so assimilation of the weaker sound into the stronger one is favored. The particle Mā (ما) is relative to the verb, and together they function like a verbal noun (maṣdar). Thus, the meaning is: "Your remembering is little."

As for Ibn 'Amir's recitation {yatadhakkarūn} with Yā’ and Tā’, its justification is that this addresses the Prophet (peace be upon him), meaning: "Little do these people, who are addressed here, remember."

As for the recitation of Hamzah, Al-Kisā’ī, and Ḥafṣ with a lightened Dhāl, they omitted the Tā’ that the first group assimilated. This is good because it avoids having three similar letters consecutively. And Allah knows best.

The author of Al-Kashshāf said: Mālik ibn Dīnār recited {wa lā tabtaghū} (and do not seek) derived from the root Ibtighā’ (seeking) found in the verse {And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam} (Al 'Imrān: 85).

{And how many a town have We destroyed, and Our might came upon them by night or while they were resting at noon. So when Our might came to them, their only cry was that they said, "Indeed, we were wrongdoers."}